The is supported in part by the United Ways of Hall, Lumpkin, Dawson, Forsyth, White, and Habersham Counties. 
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Myths about Adolescent Sex OffendersMyth: Only male adolescents commit these crimes. Myth: Adolescent sex offenders will become adult sex offenders. Myth: Adolescents who commit sex crimes are pedophiles. Myth: Adolescents who commit sexual offenses come from dysfunctional families. |
 Children working in Project Pathfinder, often use hula hoops to learn about personal boundaries. |
Approximately 40-50% of all acts of sexual abuse against children are committed by older children.
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Project Pathfinder
Project Pathfinder is a treatment program that is unique in northeast Georgia. The program specializes in working with children who have sexual behavior problems. Treatment consists of an outpatient program.
Young children (under the age of 12) who are acting out sexually have often been abused themselves. Most of them who are acting out sexually are "sexually reactive," that is, reacting to the abuse they have experienced or re-enacting explicit sexual material that they have inappropriately been exposed to. Children who are sexually reactive may have dolls and stuffed animals who know too much and who in child play behave in sexual ways that is not typical of the play of young children. These children may also have touching problems and may not understand how they are to behave.
Project Pathfinder's work with adolescents tends to be longer in term by nature. On average, teens participating in the Pathfinder program are in treatment for two years.
Because the program's treatment protocol is very focused on the adolescents in treatment taking responsibility for their actions, most of the teens in treatment are adjuciated. Staff members work in close coordination with the Department of Juvenile Justice.